


Afterlife Society

by nerdfox102



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Implied Relationships, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-09-16 02:23:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16945176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdfox102/pseuds/nerdfox102
Summary: Back from the dead with another fanfic. Lmao i had to write this for my English class. I hope you all like it! The plot is what happened 10 years after the death of Neil.





	Afterlife Society

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it!

Clouds of grey filled the sky. A biting wind whooshed past the people hurrying down the street. The few people who braved the roads were hurting on their paths, searching for an answer for a question they never asked. On this unnaturally chilly day, Todd walked along the street. He was clad in a soft light brown sweater, the color of coffee with milk and dark brown slacks. His dark blonde hair ruffled softly around his ears as he hurried to his destination. It had been ten years since his best friend and trusted companion had killed himself. The man and his old friends were meeting up to mark the sorrowful occasion.  
Todd arrived in front of the bar. A few of friends were able to steal themselves away from their busy lives to mark the occasion. Knox and Charlie waited inside. Todd paused for a moment, letting his breath turn to smoke around him. He thought about how life had changed for all of them. After school, they all went their own ways. Charlie went to explore the world, leaving heartbreak and happiness in his wake. Knox went on to date and eventually marry his sweetheart, Chris. Their wedding was the last time all of them had been in the same place for more than a day. Todd smiled fondly at the memories. He gathered his strength and pushed his way inside.  
Todd entered the room, searching for his friends. He spots Charlies freshly dyed black hair and makes his way over to their table. Both Knox and Charlie had arrived before him. Charlie sat to the left, his new black hair, styled over his forehead. The leather jacket which he always wore glimmered dimly in the lights of the bar. A helmet sat on the table next to him. To the right of the shiny helmet sat Knox. He looked as dashing as ever in a black and white three-piece suit. His brown hair cropped close to his head, giving off a soft approachable look. Todd approached the table, eyes cast downward to stop his nerves from fraying.  
The two men looked up from their conversation, their eyes cast a glance at the young man before them. The heavy silence proceeds for a moment before Charlie finally spoke.  
“Hello, Todd. How are you on this lovely evening?” joked Charlie as the two men scooted over. “Sit down you're making me a nervous wreck.”  
Todd slowly sat to the left of Charlie. All three men fell into an uncomfortable silence. No one seemed to know how to break the spell that had overcome the table. Both Charlie and Todd attempted to break the silence.  
“So how is..” began Charlie.  
“What are you guys..” interrupted Todd.  
The two men stared at each other for a moment. Not sure of what they had begun. Their eyes met for only a moment before Todd began to laugh. The room seemed to brighten around them. All the tension was gone from the men. They all began to laugh, soon doubled over from the stress. It was like old times.  
“How stiff and formal we’ve become. I mean taking that long to start a conversation. We really have lost everything we learned at Welten.” joked Charlie as the other two men laughed right along with him.  
The friends talk for hours. Joking and playing as they had never left Welten. The men swap stories about their new lives and reminisce about their teenage years. They talk about how Knox’s new baby can shout louder than a freight train and they talk about how Charlie’s recent trip to Peru left his running from local police. They talk about books they’ve read recently and about new ideas they’ve come up with. Finally, they talk about how only ten years ago they lost their best friend to suicide. That makes them all somber for a moment while they pause to remember a specific fact. The way he smiled, big and bright, or the way he lit up when he talked about acting. The simple stuff that they missed the most. Only when a drunk Charlie attempts to fight with the bartender do the men decided that it's about time to wrap up. They all get up and say their final goodbyes.  
The men leave the bar to all go their own separate ways. Charlie driving his beat-up motorcycle. Knox in his new family car. Only Todd decided to walk. This was his city after all. Winding street after winding street of new and exciting territory. A territory that he has all to himself. He passes down the street from the bar to get one last look at his old friends. Knox looking like the idea of what a father should be, and Charlie looks like he was ready for anything life could through at him. He wonders where the time went. Todd begins the short walk back to his apartment. He walks along the sidewalk, calmly thinking about the world. He isn’t fully paying attention to where he is going. Lost in thought, Todd takes a wrong turn a few blocks from his apartment. He looks up to get his bearing and sees a late night bookstore open. The sight fills Todd with melancholy. HE thinks about the life he had at Welten and how he deeply miss that English class. Todd smiles to himself and decides to go grab a book. For old times sake.  
He walks up to the open door and pushes into the warm store. The attendant cheerfully invites Todd to look around for any book he might like. Todd asks directions to his specific book. A few moments later and he is leaving the store with a copy in his grasp. Todd turns back along his route and fixes his previous mistake. In moments he arrives at his apartment. He walks up the stairs and up to his door. Todd pauses for a moment wondering if Thomas had arrived back yet. No footsteps. He was alone.  
He unlocked the door and pushed his way into the small apartment. He was greeted by the sight of his living room. A small couch along one wall with a television opposite. A coffee table littered with books and papers sits between. Many different sized pots take over almost every free space. Todd smiles as he remembers his roommates' obsession with different types of plants. Todd toes off his shoes by the door. He walks into the apartment and puts his newest purchase on the coffee table next to his other books. Todd decided to make a cup of tea to settle his racing mind. Walking to the small kitchen Todd hears the soft pattering of paws along the floor.  
“Whitty! Here Whitty Whitty Whitty!” Todd coos at the tortoiseshell cat who strolls into the living room.  
Todd ambles over and pets the cat for a moment. Whitty purrs and loops through Todd's legs. After sufficient cat time, Todd restarts his quest for a cup of tea. Whitty follows Todd back into the kitchen and jumps onto the counter.  
Todd busies himself with tea making. Water in the kettle. Tea bag opened. Mug at the ready. He walks over to the cat and begins to scratch his chin absentmindedly.  
“I can't believe it's been ten years. Time just flew by. I can’t help thinking back to that night.” Todd sighs. “I miss him.”  
The cat does not answer but gives an encouraging headbutt anyway.  
The kettle begins to steam and Todd moves to make his tea. A minute later Todd’s of to the couch, cup in hand. He sits gently in the middle of the seat, careful not to spill a single drop of his drink. Todd reaches over to set his tea on the coaster while he grasps at the new bag. The plastic crinkles as he opens the bag to reveal his new purchase. A copy of Thoreau’s “Walden” sits before him. The book brings back memories of the cave and the poets. Of Mr. Keating and of his terrible time at Welten. The fluffy cat paces over to the couch and jumps next to Todd.  
“What do you think?” Todd said as he gestured the book at the cat. “An excerpt from this book was read out loud at our old meetings. I thought it was appropriate to buy a copy today”  
The cat looks at the book with a bored expression. He yawns and begins to lay down, resting his head on Todd.  
“I guess you would find it kind of boring,” Todd exclaims. “You always were more of a Whitman fan.”  
Todd looks happily at his cat. His gaze slowly shifts to look around the apartment. The life he had made was the happiest he had ever been. He had great friends, a stable job, and a lovely apartment. He could write whatever and whenever he wanted. He was truly happy. Todd found himself thinking that this life was worth the price of moving away from his family’s expectations of himself. Moving away from his own expectations of himself. He closed his eyes and sighed contently.  
A moment passed and Todd opened his eyes. He looked down at the book he had placed in his lap. Softly moving as to not wake up his now sleeping cat, Todd opened the book. He was looking for one specific quote. The quote that started it all.  
After searching the pages, Todd finds the quote. That quote that started all of the dead poet’s societies meeting. The quote that started it all.  
“Listen to this Whitty ‘I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived,” Todd said. “This is how we used to start our meetings. Henry David Thoreau. What a mind that man had.”  
He chuckled lightly to himself as he paged through the rest of the book, stopping ever so often to take a sip of his tea. After what felt like moments, Todd heard footsteps outside the door to his apartment. The clanging of keys clued Todd in that his roommate has finally gotten home.  
Thomas walked in. His tall, lanky build filled up most of the doorway. The light from the kitchen illuminated his soft, golden hair. His eyes were dark and moody, almost as if he hadn’t slept in years. His tie was halfway undone and his suit jacket was in his arms along with a bag. His eyes began to scan the apartment. Once he saw that Todd was sitting dreamily on the couch his eyes lit up like the sun.  
“You’re home early!” exclaimed Thomas as he walked through the doorway, dropping his bag and coat jacket on the floor. “How was the meetup?”  
“It was fun. I loved seeing them again. I just wish that we had a better occasion for the meetup.” Todd said as he got up, walking into the kitchen to greet his roommate with a cup of coffee. “How was work?”  
“It was pretty good. Kevin still sucks but I’m learning to get used to it.”  
“What did he do this time.” teased Todd as he began to brew a fresh pot of the dark french roast his roommate preferred.  
Thomas trudged into the kitchen as he fully removed his tie. “He made a complete fool of himself and of me! We had our presentations today and he had the audacity. The complete arrogance to say that he ever worked harder than me on these projects I mean can you believe him” ranted Thomas as He moved to lean on the counter to continue the rant.  
“MmHmm,” said Thomas as he filled up another mug this time with strong dark coffee, just the way his roommate liked.  
“He just got up there, and made a complete fool of himself! He knew nothing about what was going on and tried to drag me down with him.” continued Thomas while gesturing wildly “God what a jerk. A complete jerk.”  
“Hey don’t get to worked up about it. You know he's going to get fired soon,” exclaimed Todd as he placed the mug of steaming coffee in front of his roommate.  
“I know I know. He just gets under my skin sometimes” Thomas took the cup and began to sip. “What were you doing earlier? You looked half asleep.”  
“I was reading a bit of Thoreau. Walden. Ever heard of it?” said Toad as he moved from the kitchen back to the living area.  
“Yeah, I think I may have read that in high school or something.”  
“So did I. Remember the dead poet's society I told you about? We used to read a quote from that book every time we had a meeting. I thought it was appropriate to pick up a copy today.” Todd said as he sat back on the couch, careful not to disturb the sleeping cat.  
“I remember you telling me about that.” Thomas paused as he sat by Todd on the couch. “Are you sure you’re ok. I know you were close with him and this being the 10th anniversary after all-”  
“I’m okay. I do still miss him sometimes. I just- it was hard to process. Still is a little hard to process. But I’m moving on” Todd gives Thomas a small, sad, smile. “I’ll be okay. I've got you now right?”  
“Of course you do.” Thomas wraps Todd in a half hug of sorts, shifting his position a little to pull his arm around Todd. “Now read me some of this Thoreau.”  
“Thanks, Tom. I really appreciate it. Where do we want to start?” Todd picks up the discarded book up off of the coffee table.  
The two roommates take turns reading from the copy of Walden. Sometimes in a serious manner but most of the time in a humorous light. As the clock neared the witching hour Thomas began to fall asleep, his eyes coming to a close as he slouched on his roommate and the couch. Todd stops reading his page, realizing that his roommate had fallen asleep. Todd slowly sits up and his eyes begin to wander. He takes a slow look around his apartment, focusing on all the details he loves. His cat still asleep next to the pair, the books, and papers that were still strewn about. The little plants that hug every corner of the room. He finally looks at his sleeping roommate, who had begun to snore softly. He thinks about the life he left behind to make this new perfect world. He was glad that he found the courage to choose his own path  
“I wished to live deliberately. I’m glad I chose my path.” mused Todd as he fell asleep with a smile on the couch.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if it sucked!


End file.
